Zagros Airlines

Zagros Airlines is an Iranian passenger airline founded in 2005 in Abadan. The airline is headquartered in Tehran and operates from Mehrabad International Airport, with Mashhad International Airport also serving as an operating base. Its business is centered on scheduled passenger air transport, primarily within Iran, supplemented by selected international services. The airline began operations during a period when Iran's aviation sector faced restrictions on fleet renewal and difficulty obtaining new Western-built aircraft. Despite those constraints, Zagros Airlines expanded from a domestic carrier into an airline with international ambitions. Its first international route was launched in 2007, linking Tehran with Damascus, the capital of Syria. The route represented an early step beyond the airline's domestic network and demonstrated its intention to serve regional markets as well as Iranian cities. Zagros has operated several Airbus and McDonnell Douglas aircraft types. In September 2013, it took delivery of an Airbus A320-200, adding a modern narrow-body Airbus aircraft to its fleet. In January 2016, it acquired what was described as Iran's first Airbus A319. On 14 March 2017, the airline obtained an Airbus A321-200 through a wet-lease arrangement with Ukraine's Khors Aircompany. These fleet developments gave the carrier capacity across different route and passenger-demand profiles, while wet leasing provided access to aircraft and operational resources without requiring a conventional outright purchase. In June 2017, Zagros announced a memorandum of understanding with Airbus covering 20 A320neo aircraft and eight A330neo aircraft. The proposed transaction would have represented a major fleet modernization and growth program. The order was not ultimately placed after newly imposed sanctions made the planned acquisition impossible. The episode illustrates the wider effect of international sanctions on Iranian airlines, which have faced obstacles involving aircraft procurement, financing, maintenance, insurance, and access to spare parts. The airline also became associated with a notable development in Iranian commercial aviation. In July 2019, Neshat Jahandari became the first Iranian female pilot to operate a passenger airliner in Iran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, while also becoming Zagros Airlines' youngest McDonnell Douglas MD-80 captain. In October 2019, three months after joining the airline, Jahandari participated in what was described as the first flight in Iran and the Middle East operated by an all-female flight crew. These events gave Zagros visibility beyond its route network and connected the brand with changing participation by women in Iranian aviation. Zagros Airlines has also experienced operational incidents. On 28 January 2016, Zagros Airlines Flight 4010, operated by McDonnell Douglas MD-83 registration EP-ZAB, skidded off Runway 31R while landing at Mashhad International Airport in weather conditions. The aircraft was badly damaged, but no injuries were reported. As of the available reference material, Zagros Airlines remains an active Iranian carrier, although detailed current information about its ownership, executive leadership, full route network, and fleet composition is not established here.

Zagros Airlines was established in 2005 in Abadan, Iran. It developed as a passenger carrier serving the Iranian domestic market and later expanded into regional international flying. Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran became its principal base, while Mashhad International Airport also served as an operating base. The airline's first reported international service began in 2007, connecting Tehran with Damascus in Syria. This route marked Zagros's transition from a primarily domestic operator to an airline with a regional network. Its subsequent fleet history reflects the challenges faced by Iranian airlines in obtaining and financing aircraft. In September 2013, Zagros took delivery of an Airbus A320-200. In January 2016, it acquired an Airbus A319, identified in the reference material as Iran's first aircraft of that type. On 14 March 2017, it acquired an Airbus A321-200 through a wet lease from Khors Aircompany. In June 2017, Zagros announced a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 20 A320neo aircraft and eight A330neo aircraft. The plan would have significantly increased the airline's future narrow-body and wide-body capacity. The proposed order could not be completed after newly imposed sanctions prevented the transaction from proceeding. This outcome was consistent with the broader structural difficulties affecting Iran's commercial aviation sector, where sanctions have restricted access to new aircraft, aviation finance, leasing structures, maintenance support, and spare parts. Zagros also received public attention in 2019 through the career of Neshat Jahandari. In July of that year, she became the first Iranian female pilot to operate a passenger airliner in Iran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and she became the youngest McDonnell Douglas MD-80 captain at Zagros Airlines. In October 2019, Jahandari was part of a flight operated by an all-female crew, described as the first such flight in Iran and the Middle East. The event became one of the airline's most distinctive public-facing milestones. The carrier's operational history includes an accident or incident on 28 January 2016. Zagros Airlines Flight 4010, operated by McDonnell Douglas MD-83 registration EP-ZAB, skidded off Runway 31R while landing at Mashhad International Airport in weather conditions. The aircraft sustained serious damage, but the available reference reports no injuries. The available material confirms that Zagros Airlines continued operating as an Iranian passenger airline, but does not provide sufficiently detailed information to establish its current ownership, management structure, complete destinations, or current fleet with confidence.

• 2019

  Female pilot and all-female crew milestones

  [1]Zagros Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  Neshat Jahandari became a Zagros MD-80 captain and participated in a flight described as Iran's and the Middle East's first operated by an all-female crew.

• 2017

  A321 wet lease and Airbus memorandum

  [1]Zagros Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  Zagros acquired an Airbus A321-200 through a wet lease from Khors Aircompany and later announced a proposed Airbus order that was not completed because of sanctions.

• 2016

  A319 acquisition and Mashhad runway incident

  [1]Zagros Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  The airline acquired an Airbus A319 in January. On 28 January, Flight 4010 skidded off the runway at Mashhad; the aircraft was badly damaged and no injuries were reported.

• 2013

  Airbus A320 enters the fleet

  [1]Zagros Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  Zagros took delivery of an Airbus A320-200 in September.

• 2007

  First international route

  [1]Zagros Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  The airline launched its first international service, flying from Tehran to Damascus.

• 2005

  Airline founded in Abadan

  [1]Zagros Airlinesen.wikipedia.org

  Zagros Airlines was founded in Abadan, Iran, beginning its development as an Iranian passenger carrier.

A privately operated Iranian passenger airline serving domestic routes and selected regional international markets, with a history of fleet development constrained by sanctions and aircraft-access limitations.

• Passenger air transport · 2005

  Domestic passenger services

  Zagros Airlines' core offering is scheduled passenger transportation within Iran. The carrier uses Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport and Mashhad International Airport as operating bases, supporting connections among Iranian cities. The available reference material does not provide a complete current domestic destination list or detailed cabin-service specifications.

• International passenger air transport · 2007

  Regional international services

  The airline expanded beyond Iran in 2007 with a Tehran–Damascus service. Its international proposition consists of regional passenger flying rather than a documented global long-haul network. The available sources do not establish the full current list of international destinations.

• Aircraft-based passenger services · 2013

  Airbus and McDonnell Douglas fleet operations

  Zagros has operated Airbus A319, A320, and A321 aircraft alongside McDonnell Douglas MD-80-series aircraft. The fleet has included both directly acquired aircraft and aircraft obtained through wet-lease arrangements. A proposed order for A320neo and A330neo aircraft was not completed because of sanctions.

• 2017

  Proposed Airbus A320neo and A330neo fleet orderProduct launch

  Background

  Zagros sought to modernize and expand its fleet through a memorandum of understanding with Airbus.

  Action taken

  The memorandum covered 20 A320neo aircraft and eight A330neo aircraft.

  Aftermath

  The order was never placed because newly imposed sanctions prevented the proposed transaction from proceeding.

  Source

1. 1Zagros Airlinesen.wikipedia.org